Shaving apparatus



April 27, 1937. B. F. CONNOLLY SHAVING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 14, 1935 Mai M25 1 7 w -s\ ATTO RN EY Patented Apr. 27, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 12 Claims.

It is an object of my invention to provide a shaving apparatus which will be safe to use and positive in removing hair, and which will be automatic in operation by being driven by an elec- 6 tric motor or electro-magnetic means. I am aware that, at least since 1898, electro-magnetic driven automatic razors have been disclosed and some have found a limited use in commerce. None of these razors; however, have been absolutely safe and at the same time provided a clean, close shave. In my razor I provide for the first time, a double cutting surface so that the razor will function in both directions of motion on the face with a double cutter in operation at all times, and I provide a comb portion to properly direct and position the hair so that all the hairs will be brought rapidly and securely within cutting engagement with the cutter portion of the razor. My device also can be readily cleaned and the cut 20 hairs and dirt removed without disassembling the razor.

These and other objects will more readily be seen by reference to a preferred embodiment of my razor, as shown in the accompanying illustrations, in which like numbers refer to like parts in the several views.

In Figure 1 is shown a side elevation of the top portion of the razor. Figure 2 shows a plan view of a section of the top. Figure 3 shows a sectional elevation along the plane Z-Z of Figure 2 and Figure 4 shows an end section along the plane X-X of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, l indicates the handle of my razor having the finger grip portions at it. This handle may be constructed of bakelite or other suitable material and is provided at its upper end with a grooved portion 2, adapted to hold the guard 3. The handle also has provision for taking set screws H, which can be screw threaded into the guard 3 the better to hold it securely in place in the handle. The guard 3 and cutter l are composed of suitable metallic material to assure rigidity and wear. Disposed in the top of the guard are a number of transverse slots 1 which may be cut in any conventional manner. This leaves the guard cross pieces or comb supports 8. As will appear in Figure 4 these may be relatively inclined to each other. Also the top of the guard is slightly elevated to provide the comb portion Ill, disposed toward the center of the guard. The tops of the comb teeth are preferably slightly rounded in form and the space 9 between the several combs is cut out so as to be wider than the space between the comb supports all as shown clearly in Figure 2, the better to permit the passage of hair. Beneath the guard l is positioned a cutter I which is free to be reciprocated longitudinally by the action of the rocker lever or eccentric II which engages the cutter in the recess l posi- 5 tioned in the base of the cutter. The lever I4 is adapted to be oscillated about its pivot Ila in the handle. This member I! is of course actuated by a motor or electro-magnet (not shown) positioned inside the handle such means being weliknown in the art. This cutter is provided also with a transverse series of cutter slots 8 which may be cut by any suitable means, so that the bottom of the slots in he cutter open into the space 5 created by the s ape or curvature of the cutter I, so that cut hairs may readily pass into the space to facilitate cleaning and so that there will be a minimum of friction between the cutter and the guard. It will be seen that the cutter is substantially solid with two parallel series of cutting surfaces. The cutter I is held in positive operating relationship by the pressure blocks l2, located in the handle, as shown, and backed up by the springs II, or other resilient means, such as rubber or the like.

The operation of the razor is obvious from the foregoing description. The actuating lever ll positioned in the recess 15 in the cutter I causes the latter to reciprocate longitudinally in the handle i beneath the guard 3. The cutter has a plurality of :elatively small cutting surfaces which are held in engagement with the corresponding transverse comb supports 8 in the guard 3, by means of the springs i3 and pressure plates If. It must be observed that this gives two cutting sides to my razor. Placing the razor against the face the function of the comb III is to pick up the hairs and direct them into the slots I, irrespective of whether the handle and razor guard are moved in one direction or the other. The hairs directed and guided into the slots 1, enlarged at 9 as shown, are of course cut off by the motion of the corresponding cutting surfaces of either one side of the cutter or the other or both. I thus obtain cutting on both sides and on both sides in both directions of motion against the face with a single comb. My razor thus shaves over twice as fast as a single cutter type.

I may, of course, shape my combs in any desired form or spacing to give a much closer shave than is possible with other razors of this type. It will thus appear that by placing the razor against the face the comb supports 8 on each side of the guard 3, and the combs III in the center of the guard 3 are all in contact with the skin at the same time.. Due to fact that the combs III are raised slightly higher than the comb supports 8, the combs II are in firm contact with the skin at all times. As the razor is moved in a direction parallel to the slots 1, hairs which lie parallel to the slots will enter them and be out oh by the motion of the corresponding cutting surfaces of either one side of the cutter or the other. The function of the combs II is to pick up the hairs which do not lie parallel to the slots I and to direct them ihto the spaces 9 between the combs which taper 03 into the slots 1. This is a most important feature of my invention because a large percentage of the hairs on the normal face do not lie parallel to each other and therefore do not enter the slots of the ordinary razor. It is also obvious that the amount of hair gathered in the space 9 between combs II. is greater than if these spaces were the same width as the slots I, and that skin which may enter the spaces il between combs cannot be injured because there are no cutting surfaces beneath said spaces. The action of my razor makes it unnecessary to repeatedly go over the same surface from different directions in order to get all hairs into the slots as must be done with razors having flat or round guards. The points of my combs are rounded suillciently to prevent injury to the skin but are sharp enough to engage hairs lying close to the surface of the skin.

Modification of structure will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of my invention, as disclosed in these specifications and as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described by invention, what I claim and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is:

1. An automatic safety safety razor, having a handle, means for moving a cutter portion in said handle, a transverse slotted guard supported in said handle over said cutter, a centrally disposed integral comb portion in said guard, characterized by the longitudinal width of each comb tooth being less than the longitudinal width of said transverse comb supports in said guard to provide, at the comb portion, greater space between the comb teeth than between the comb teeth supports.

2. A power driven shaving appliance comprising a fixed guard in which the cutting surfaces are formed by fine transverse slots, so finely spaced as to admit hair into the slots but to prevent the skin from entering such slots when the slots are moved over and in contact with the surface of the skin, a reciprocating cutter having transverse slots to cross the finely spaced slots which are in contact with the surface of the skin and an elevated centrally situated comb integral with said transverse slotted guard, said comb adapted to provide closer cutting and to multiply the cutting effect in each direction of motion of said shaving appliance.

3. A power driven shaving appliance comprising a fixed guard in which the cutting surfaces are formed by line transverse slots spaced finely so as to admit hair into the slots, but so spaced as to prevent the skin from entering the slots when the slots are moved over in contact with the surface of the skin, a reciprocating cutter having transverse slots to cross the finely spaced slots which are in contact with the surface of the skin and an elevated centrally disposed comb integral with said transverse slotted guard characterized by the plane surfaces of each row of said comb supports being relatively inclined to each other.

4. An automatic safety razor having a handle means for longitudinally reciprocating a cutter portion in said handle, a guard with transverse slots and having plane surfaces supported in said handle in spaced relation over said cutter, a centrally disposed integral comb portion in said guard elevated relative to said plane surfaces, said guard adapted to provide firm skin contact and to guide hairs through said transverse slots into engagement with said cutter, each tooth of said comb portion being narrowed to a point at its maximum elevated part and widening away from said point until its width corresponds to that of the comb support.

5. An automatic safety razor having a handle, a cutter supported therein, means for longitudinally reciprocating said cutter in said handle. a guard with transverse slots and having plane surfaces, and a centrally disposed integral comb portion in said guard elevated relative to said plane surfaces and to said cutter, said comb being adapted to provide firm skin contact and to guide hairs into said transverse slots for engagement by said cutter.

6. A shaving device having a handle, a cutter supported therein, means for longitudinally reciprocating said with transverse slots and having plane surfaces and a centrally disposed integral comb portion in said guard elevated relative to said plane surcutter in said handle, a guard faces and to said cutter, and said cutter being transversely slotted and having a portion thereof corresponding to but depressed relative to said elevated comb portion, said comb being adapted to guide hairs into the adjoining cutting areas.

'7. A shaving device comprising a fixed outer guard member and an inner movable cutter memher in shearing relation thereto, said outer guard member being transversely slotted and having spaced shearing areas adapted to cooperate with the inner cutter with a longitudinally extending intermediate area in said outer guard elevated and spaced from said inner cutter to provide a non-cutting comb area for the ready entrance of hairs, and means for operating said movable cutter member.

8. In a shaving device an outer guard member transversely slotted to form teeth thereacross, an inner transversely slotted movable cutter member, means for longitudinally reciprocating said cutter member, said inner cutter having a middle portion depressed from contact with the teeth of said outer guard member intermediate cutting areas on each side of said depressed portion, and the teeth on said outer guard memher being narrowed over said depressed portion to a fine dimension to form a fine tooth comb for directing hairs into the side cutting areas.

9. A shaving device comprising a fixed outer guard member, and an inner transversely slotted movable cutter member, said outer member being transversely slotted to provide alternate blades and slots extending thereacross, said blades being reduced in width to a line dimension at an area intermediate of their ends with a corresponding widening of the slots within said area, and said inner and outer members being spaced apart at said intermediate area but in contact at the areas adjoining said intermediate area, the arrangement thereby providing spaced cutting areas with an intermediate longitudinally extending non-cutting fine tooth comb area 75 for guiding the hairs into the slots of the cutting areas.

10. In a shaving device an outer guard member transversely slotted to form teeth extending thereacross, and the teeth being reduced in width to a fine dimension at an area intermediate their ends to form a fine tooth comb, an inner movable cutter means, means for longitudinally reciprocating said cutter, said cutter having transversely slotted cutting areas in contact with said guard member adjoining said comb area but having an opening under said comb area to permit the ready entrance of hairs therein for guidance into the cutting areas.

11. A shaving device comprising a fixed outer hollow guard member with supporting walls at the sides thereof and being transversely slotted with teeth extending thereacross and supported at their opposite ends by said walls, an inner movable cutter member fitting centrally within said hollow outer member and being transversely slotted, said inner and outer members being in contact at transversely spaced shearing areas but being spaced from each other at the intervening area a sufllcient distance to permit the free entrance of hairs and to provide a longitudinally extending non-cutting comb area between the spaced cutting areas, and means for operating said movable member.

12. In a shaving device an outer fixed hollow guard member with supporting walls at the sides thereof and being transversely slotted with teeth extending thereacross supported at their ends by said walls, an inner movable cutter member fitted centrally within said hollow outer member, said inner member being transversely slotted and having a middle longitudinally extending portion depressed from contact with the teeth of said outer guard member and sufliciently spaced therefrom to permit the free entrance of hairs and provide a non-cutting comb area spacing longitudinally extending cutting areas at either side thereof, and means for longitudinally reciprocating said inner cutter member.

BERNARD F. CONNOLLY.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,078,563.

April 27, 1937.

BERNARD F. CONNOLLY.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Page 2,

first column, line 35, for "by" read my; and line 58, claim 1, strike out the word "safety" second occurrence; and second column, line 3, claim 4, after "handle" insert a comma; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 1st day 'of June, A. D. 1937.

(Seal) Henry Van Arsdale Acting Commissioner of Patents.

for guiding the hairs into the slots of the cutting areas.

10. In a shaving device an outer guard member transversely slotted to form teeth extending thereacross, and the teeth being reduced in width to a fine dimension at an area intermediate their ends to form a fine tooth comb, an inner movable cutter means, means for longitudinally reciprocating said cutter, said cutter having transversely slotted cutting areas in contact with said guard member adjoining said comb area but having an opening under said comb area to permit the ready entrance of hairs therein for guidance into the cutting areas.

11. A shaving device comprising a fixed outer hollow guard member with supporting walls at the sides thereof and being transversely slotted with teeth extending thereacross and supported at their opposite ends by said walls, an inner movable cutter member fitting centrally within said hollow outer member and being transversely slotted, said inner and outer members being in contact at transversely spaced shearing areas but being spaced from each other at the intervening area a sufllcient distance to permit the free entrance of hairs and to provide a longitudinally extending non-cutting comb area between the spaced cutting areas, and means for operating said movable member.

12. In a shaving device an outer fixed hollow guard member with supporting walls at the sides thereof and being transversely slotted with teeth extending thereacross supported at their ends by said walls, an inner movable cutter member fitted centrally within said hollow outer member, said inner member being transversely slotted and having a middle longitudinally extending portion depressed from contact with the teeth of said outer guard member and sufliciently spaced therefrom to permit the free entrance of hairs and provide a non-cutting comb area spacing longitudinally extending cutting areas at either side thereof, and means for longitudinally reciprocating said inner cutter member.

BERNARD F. CONNOLLY.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,078,563.

April 27, 1937.

BERNARD F. CONNOLLY.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows:

Page 2,

first column, line 35, for "by" read my; and line 58, claim 1, strike out the word "safety" second occurrence; and second column, line 3, claim 4, after "handle" insert a comma; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 1st day 'of June, A. D. 1937.

(Seal) Henry Van Arsdale Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

